Tottenham Hotspur to play Lion City Sailors on Jul 26 instead of Roma

SINGAPORE: English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur will face off against Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors on Jul 26 at the National Stadium.

The Sailors will replace Serie A club AS Roma, who had initially been slated to face Spurs.

"The change in schedule is because the Korean leg of AS Roma's tour is not proceeding as planned and the club has therefore had to reschedule its pre-season plan," said promoter TEG Sport on Wednesday (Jul 12).

"We are thrilled that (Lion City Sailors) will also be part of the action on the pitch," said TEG Sport CEO Geoff Jones.

The promoter said that ticket holders with seats in the Roma section for the match on Jul 26 will be automatically refunded. 

Other existing match tickets remain valid, but match ticket holders can request a refund by 12pm on Jul 21.

Lion City Sailors chairman Forrest Li said that playing against a team like Spurs will provide the Sailors with "an opportunity to better prepare for the rigours of the AFC Champions League and also provide a visual treat for our club's supporters".

He added that Spurs are a well-supported club in Singapore and he expects many of their fans to turn up. 

"We hope the match will provide Spurs' fans an exposure to local football and spark some interest in our local football league."

Donna-Maria Cullen, executive director of Tottenham Hotspur, said: "The game against the Lion City Sailors will be a great experience for our fans to see us play against Singapore’s leading club side in the National Stadium.”

The match between Spurs and the Sailors is part of the inaugural Singapore Festival of Football that will run from Jul 26 to Aug 2. The events are supported by the Singapore Tourism Board. 

Other matches during the event include